Photos from our trip to Peru in 2014
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| Here the juxtaposition of the woman and the mural, with similar clothing struck my eye |
“Photographers deal in things which are continually
vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which
can make them come back again. “Henri Cartier Bresson
Taking pictures has never been so easy. With my iPhone I can point and shoot - and if
I like what I see I can post the photo on Facebook within minutes... The presence of ever ready cameras changes
our experience - Consider two scenarios...
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| catching 'the moment 'when she was reacting to smoke in her eyes... |
1. Sometimes I go
out into the city or wilderness with my mind focused on looking for good
photos. And when I see something
promising I click it and now its mine. The presence of the camera causes me to be more alert and attentive to what
is before me.
2. If I go out
without my camera my experience is difference.
Now I relate to nature or city as a reality to experience - not to
dissect and analyze. I am experiencing it more in the moment. I am free to
relax and 'be there'.
Which is better? - I'm glad I can do both at different
times...
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| A woman of great dignity |
Disclaimer:- I am only a dabbler in 'picture taking' -I fiddle around and try things but I not a 'real' photographer. What I relate, comes to me from conversations with others, and from books I have read...
Each photographer makes choices a little differently. A photo may look like an image of reality -
but the fact that this photo, taken from this angle, with there people or
places, with this light... tell something about the person who took the
photo. Compare 10 photos by 10 different
photographers and you can create an identify for that photographer...
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| Three camposinos in town for the day |
Consider the historic photos by Dorthea Lange, Ansel Adamson,
Robert Kapa, and Henri Cartier Bresson...They each choose to see the world
through their own eyes - their styles are so unique that you can recognize them
by one photo. Some want to show the texture of a farm, a war, a tranquil
mountain... others focused on faces,
another on children. Some seek violence
- others seek tranquility. Some seek to
tell us the realities of life others want to show us how to connect with peace and happiness in the moment... Each person had their
own “decision making process” in place to guide them in choosing what and when to
photograph.
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| Peruvian mountain farm woman |
One rule that most all photographers follow is that of training yourself to choose
the exact right moment to capture the image. Human faces change in a flash. When I
take a photo, I hold my breath for a moment and check the action of my subjects
and when the moment is right - GO! It is
kind of like training a reflex action. I
don’t really think about finding the moment - it seems to just happen. A moment sooner or later and you lose it.
“Think about the
photo before and after, never during. The secret is to take your time. You
mustn't go too fast. The subject must forget about you. Then, however, you must
be very quick.” Henri
Cartier Bresson
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| Brother and sister |
A good photo is all about light! If the lighting isn’t
right – come back when you can get the light you need to make the photo
interesting. Just notice a favorite
landscape in the very early morning when the light and shadows are
pronounced. By midday the lighting is
flat and totally uninteresting. A great
photo use shadows and reflections for real and effective results.... Same with
photos of people. Sometimes all you have to do is ask the people you photograph to move so that good light strikes their face and they have a more interesting background...
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| ..."and then she said..." |
Framing the picture is a big deal thing. Make it interesting, avoid clichés... think
about how the parts of the photo fit together. Avoid making the photo to crowded. I must
admit that I 'cheat' - when I download my photos to the computer I frequently
crop the photo to make the framing more interesting. You can also easily adjust brightness,
shadows, and color balance if you are using a digital camera that downloads to
your computer.
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| Sharing a bag of candy - (dont miss the pup) |
Avoid far away pictures of people – They make for
boring photos. Its exciting to be close
enough that you can see features. Human expression in the moment are
all-important. I like profiles, head and shoulder shots, random candid shots
can be fun - but there is nothing wrong with staging your photos too. Remember to wait for the “decisive moment” to click the shutter. When photographing a group
meeting– don’t show the speaker - show the people watching the speaker. Focus
on the responses of people.
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| Example of a photo that would be better with improved camera angle and closer range (with telephoto) |
Now the big question - while my iPhone is so convenient - why on earth would I want to use
a digital camera? You can do so much
more with a digital camera and generally get way more satisfying photos. With my digital camera I can; easily use telephoto
to zoom in on a subject from a good distance away, I can compensate for light
conditions (bright sunlight, late evening), I can take excellent clear macro photos,
I can adjust for subjects with action, choose wide angle, late evening. Then I can transfer the photos to my computer and
quickly and easily make final adjustments - all this with one of the
inexpensive new generation small view-screen digital cameras. I use a Sony Cyber-shot camera and
love it!
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| Herbs for sale - probabily collected from her garden or wild in nature |
So - I guess I am one of those people who has
integrated a camera into my world experience. I think a good photographer is
always seeking to 'see outside of your usual' way of encountering the world - I am
constantly looking to see what I am overlooking and what might make an interesting
photo : Angle - position - light/shadows - framing - timing...
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| This photo shows a whole tableau of life at the entrance to the city market |
